


Beamed Out

by Sarek and Amanda Archive Maintainer (Selek)



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-06 00:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selek/pseuds/Sarek%20and%20Amanda%20Archive%20Maintainer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a journal entry, Amanda remembers an embarrassing incident from her son’s childhood.</p><p>Written by Amanda Grayson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beamed Out

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a list challenge where the given scenario was "little Spock streaking nude through the neighbourhood". While I did not keep to those exact parameters, I hope it still adheres to the spirit. Thanks go to my son, Salem, who provided the raw material.

Beamed Out  
Author: Amanda Grayson  
Code: Sarek, Amanda, Spock  
Series: TOS  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Star Trek et al is owned by Paramount. No infringement or disparagement is intended by the author.

Summary: In a journal entry, Amanda remembers an embarrassing incident from her son’s childhood. 

 

Notes: This story was inspired by a list challenge where the given scenario was "little Spock streaking nude through the neighbourhood". While I did not keep to those exact parameters, I hope it still adheres to the spirit. Thanks go to my son, Salem, who provided the raw material.

 

Stardate 3842.3: 

Sarek was rather put out with me after the reception tonight. He says that I embarrassed Spock in front of his colleagues. Perhaps a little embarrassment is good for him. The ship’s doctor, McCoy, asked me if Spock ran and played, even in secret. Of course, this question let me know how ignorant Outworlders are of Vulcan culture, but I couldn’t help myself. ‘He did have a pet sehlat he was rather fond of.’ And I added, ‘It’s sort of a fat teddy bear.’ Dr. McCoy clearly found this amusing and starting ribbing Spock about it. But Sarek led me away and then came the admonishment. I did not argue with him—but there are so many more embarrassing incidents and anecdotes I could have related.  
Sarek has forgotten—or perhaps he hasn’t—what a little hellion Spock used  
to be. He did indeed keep us on our toes. And it’s such a contrast from what  
he’s become.

 

I remember one time… Spock was very young—about eighteen months old. At that time, we were stationed on Gohlis Prime and living in the Embassy. It was full of stuffy Vulcans and protocols and while Sarek can be much more relaxed in private, around others he often goes into ‘superVulcan mode.’ This was especially true on Gohlis. The situation exacerbated by the fact that most of his colleagues did not approve of his marriage to a Terran, although this was unspoken, and Spock was regarded as something of a mongrel.

 

Although he would have blatantly denied it, and I never challenged him on it, Sarek’s stress level was quite high. Not only was he feeling pressure from his staff, the situation on Gohlis itself was not the most relaxed. The planet was not yet a member of the Federation and factions there resented our presence. Of course, we were solely representing Vulcan’s interests, but that distinction seemed lost on the Gohlisians. There had not yet been any outright violence, Sarek would never have allowed Spock and I to accompany him had there been, but there were frequent protests outside the Embassy, some of them quite vocal.

 

Into all this tension, insert one Terran and one, rather exuberant, half Vulcan toddler. It was an interesting mix, to say the least. As I’ve already mentioned, Spock was regarded as somewhat inferior, a theory not borne out by observation. He was really no different from other Vulcan infants I’d encountered, and he certainly did not appear any different. It was merely the perception of those around him. Sarek’s staff did not approve of me, so they did not approve of our child. They looked for any sign of inferiority and because they were looking, they often found it. Although this was bigoted and highly illogical, it impacted Sarek and he was almost impossible to live with. 

 

I found myself playing the ‘perfect Vulcan wife’ whether I wanted to or not. Of course, Sarek also wanted the ‘perfect Vulcan son.’ But Spock wasn’t cooperating. At that age, he was very energetic. Unlike some of the other Vulcan children at the Embassy, he was short on patience and long on action. He had difficulty sitting still unless there was food involved and if food was involved, it had better come sooner rather than later. Mealtimes were short for Spock. He often finished quicker than we did and began squirming and crying in his seat. I compensated by letting him down and allowing him to run around and play in our apartments while we finished our meal. Sarek did not always approve of this and it did make Spock more difficult to handle in more formal settings. And, like most human babies, the hour or two before sleep was distinguished by bursts of hyperactivity, as though all the excess energy of the day had to be burned off before sleep could come. 

 

Once a week, the entire Embassy staff met together for endmeal. This communal dining ritual is an ancient custom, dating all the way back to Surak and the time of the Reforms. Originally, it had religious connotations, but now it was more about coming together. For people far from home, the custom became almost essential. It helped to reinforce Vulcan culture and educate the children. And in a tense situation, like the one on Gohlis, it also served to solidify the group.

 

For Sarek however, this was not a time of relaxation. As Vulcan’s representative, he always felt he had to be the epitome of Vulcan beliefs and culture, especially around others. Of course, his family was included in this, but, as I’ve said, Spock was not cooperating and I began to dread these weekly meals. Spock could never live up to his father’s expectations—which were unreasonable. (Much hasn’t changed, I suppose.) 

 

On this particular day, Spock seemed especially ‘wound up.’ Our normal routine had been disrupted by diplomatic forays that required the family presence. I could tell that Spock was relieved when our ground transport finally pulled into the Embassy gates and he was free to run around the grounds and play. He was not happy to learn that it was Communion night. He fussed and cried when I picked him up and took him to our apartments and he continued to do so as I changed his clothes and got him ready for the meal. He didn’t want to wear what I had selected of course—a pair of royal blue shortalls. But he finally settled down when I allowed him to take one of his favourite toys. We met Sarek in the communal dining hall. He was not pleased to see his son dressed somewhat informally and with a toy in his hand. I felt like telling him to jump out an airlock, that babies should not be held to adult standards, but I greeted him with the ta’al and let it go. 

 

As Ambassador, Sarek was designated the leader of the community, and hence the leader of the Communion ceremony. Of course this also meant that he and his family sat at the head table, on display, along with the healer and his family.

 

I put Spock in his chair and readied him for the long string of prayers and rituals that would precede the actual meal. I glanced quickly at T’Ri, the healer’s wife. Her children were quietly seated, in order, all pressed and dressed, as it were. On Earth, we would call them ‘stair step’ children, but that term didn’t quite apply to the way Vulcans propagated. Still, there they were, the intervals between children perfectly—rhythmic. 

 

‘As it was in the dawn of our days,’ Sarek intoned. 

 

This began the Communion. Spock was very familiar with this ceremony, which helped a bit. At least he knew when the meal would come. Of course, that was the easiest part. It was more of a challenge to entertain a small child who already knew most of the Communion from memory and wanted to ‘sing along.’ 

 

At last, however, we did get to eat. As Spock plowed into the herbed curds, T’Vey, the healer’s youngest child, watched him with interest. She was about four. ‘He is very hungry tonight,’ she observed.

 

‘Yes, indeed,’ I agreed, spooning more redroot onto Spock’s plate. 

 

‘Mother gives me flatbread beforehand so I can wait,’ she stated, hoping this might be helpful for next time.

 

I squelched the urge to bristle at the condescension evident in her tone and reminded myself that she was just a child. I smiled instead. ‘We had to attend the Mid-Continental Conference this afternoon,’ I explained. ‘There was barely time to get back and prepare.’

 

‘Oh,’ she said and turned back to her dinner. I wondered if who she pitied more, me or Sarek.

 

At last Spock had eaten his fill and had begun to squirm. ‘Down, Meera,’ he demanded. ‘Down now.’

 

‘Spock, Communion is not over,’ I reminded him.

 

‘Down NOW,’ he repeated.

 

Children are universally savvy creatures. They always seem to know when they have you in a non-negotiable situation. It was either deal with a Vulcan temper tantrum—and they can be quite formidable—or let Spock out of his chair. I opted to let him down. Communion meal was not the time for a lesson on limits. He immediately ran off and I relaxed for a moment, knowing that he would be safe in the Embassy. I turned my focus back to the ceremony. The meal was ending and Sarek stood, elevating the Cup of Surak before him, about to intone the Blessing that would end this Communion, when Spock suddenly re-entered the hall, at top speed and completely nude. He was laughing as he ran, his genitalia wagging proudly.

 

Needless to say, the Blessing was delayed. 

 

The silence was heavy as everyone in the room was completely focused on my nude, halfling son. I got up, clamping down hard on my laughter and grabbed Spock as fast as I could. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sarek, dark with emotion he was quickly controlling.

 

I rushed Spock out of the dining hall and into the corridor and there I saw it—Spock’s clothes on the floor, intact, diaper and all. It looked as though someone had simply beamed him out of his clothes. I started laughing and went over to pick up the outfit, still holding a squirming Spock in my arms. ‘How did you get out of these?’ I asked.

 

Spock just looked at me and laughed.

 

To this day, I still don’t know how he got out of his clothes like that. But it certainly livened up Communion meal and reminded me that a little embarrassment is good for the soul. Although I don’t think Sarek ever saw it like that.


End file.
